Draft-rigging for wagon-tongues.



R. R. SAVOY. DRAFT RIGGING- FOR WAGON TONGUES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYJQ, 1914- 1,124=,96 1 Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTc-LITHa, WASHINGTON. D. C.

R. ms voy. DRAFT BIGGING FOR WAGON TONGUES.

APPLIOATIOK FILED MAY.19, 1914 1,124,96 1'. Patented Jan. 12,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ROBERT R. SAVOY, or MACKSVILLE, Kansas.

DRAFT-RIGGING FOR WAGON-TONGUES.

Application filed May 1e, 1914. Serial No. 839,593.

To allwhom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT R. SAvoY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Macksville, county of ,Stafl'ord, State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging for VVagon-Tongues, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

' My invention relatesto draft apparatus for vehicles and especially to spring mechanism for wagon tongues.

My invention has for its object the productionof means whereby a wagon tongue may be normally supported without strain on the draft animals, may be dropped to the ground when desired by simple pressure, and will permit the dumping or upturning of the wagon or other device to which it is attached, without upward strain upon the draft animals or displacement of their harness.

I attain my object by connecting the tongue pivotallyto the vehicle, and connecting to' it an" oppositely working pair of spring devices pivoted so as to reverse their effect when the tongue is lowered or the vehicle upturned.

My invention is illustrated as to one embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in

- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the front gear of a wagon with one wheel removed and the tongue attached thereto by means of my invention, in normal draft position., Fig. 2 is an opposite elevation showing (the wagon body. inclined to dump. Fig. 8 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1 ,showing the tongue dropped and the wagon body normal. Fig. A is a ,detail showing the mode of attachment for the rigging of the tongue. Figs. 5, 6, 7 and.8 are detail figures showing the rigging detached. Fig. 9 is a similar detail view of a spring connection for the tongue.

Referring to the drawings, T represents, a wagon tongue attached through the rigging of my invention to the front axle A of a wagon not shown except as to one front wheel W; and the body frame F. ,This

tongue is shown inFig. .l in normal posi;

tion, that is to say substantially horizontal. Wagon tongues of ordinary construction are permanently fixed in this position, with the result that certain inconveniences and even dangers are experienced which by means of my invention are completely avoided. One of the inconveniences is that ofbeing unable. to'lead or back the draft animals into position to or from the side, whereby one of them would have to step overthe tongue. 'This might be ,done with an ordinary tongue however, if it were pivotally connected to the axle so it would drop when not. supported. Such a construction however would cause the weight of thetongue when in use to be borne constantly by the draft animals, which in practice is bad. A similar result might be attained if the tongue werepivoted with a springor weight tolift it, but this would, cause the tongue normally. to assume an upwardly inclined position which wouldcreate an upward strain on the draft animals. Another inconvenience which sometimes amounts to danger, if the tongue isrigid, arises when the wagon is on an incline as for example when dumping.

A rigid tongue under these conditions would either snap or lift the animals.

To attain my object I providefarigging R having vertical members 'r-r, the latter bi furcated, to receive the tongue which is pivoted thereto at 1' and a horizontal member 1' forming a slide for the carriager to which is attached a connecting rod 7 ;and1

which is normally'pressed forward by the springs S-S. Theconstruction of these springs'is best shown in Fig. 6 wherein the.

telescoping tubes 8 8 have shouldered terminal pivot "members -8 and carryna.

compression spring '8 with its ends abutting againstthe shoulders of the terminals. 1 The terminalsfs are pivotally secured to the upturned member 1- of the carriage r, and

the terminals 8 of the springs arepivoted in fixed bracketsr and 7/. The carriage 1- is fitted with rollers r and r traveling on theupperand lower faces respectivelyiof the horizontal member 1' of the framefR. When the carriage 1' is in itsextreme right hand position as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate ted Jan. 12, 1915.

springs extend forwardly with the;

telescoping tubes pushed out, and maintain pressureon the carriage Which-iscommunicatedthrou-gh the "rod 4- to the tongue, by means of the adjustable extension 7 9, .pivotally secured to a collar? on the tongue. Thus the tongue is maintained under's'pring pressure in the position in Fig.1, If'a suflicient downward force is applied, the carriage r will be pushed to the left as shown in Fig. 3, and the springs will be closely compressed While their tube's 'arecompletely telescoped as indicated in Fig. 8. If the tongue is maintained 'horiz'ontal "and the wagon body is tipped backward-1y as "shown in Fig. 2, the same 'reslilt is "attained, the angle however being somewhat "greater between-the axis Of-thetongue andthe perpendicular "lines "of the body. fln either case, however, thefniember 7' is forced back so that the terminals "8 of thesprings go past center,'that is to say past "a direct flin'e connecting their outer "pivot points '3 Obviou'sfly thiscreates spring pressure in the-"opposite direction to normal pressure and tends to maintain the parts in position. Otherwise the tongue would tend to rise, and no substantial advantage would be gained over a rigid tongue.

I have disclosedflherein'what Itonsider to be "the best embodiment of "my invention known to -me at the'present time,but 1am aware that a {number of changes "and modifications may be made in details and f'n'onessential features without departing from the spirit of the invention, For example, instead dfqthe telescoping tubes ss I may use rods pivoted at their innely'ends at 8 and 'slidingthrough fthe brack'ets"1' and W attli'eir 'otiter'ends. Instead offthe rigging shown, I may also "employ a dr'o'p bra'cl'ret and a cross-shapedmetal piece'withitscrossmembers pivoted "to the bracket or "the axlefand i't's'fore and aft members perforated at their ends'for the r'odsr to slide-therein. In'such case the innerends of the springs 8 would be fpivo'ted direct tothe rod and the "carriage "0' would be omitted entirely.

Various other modificationswill suggest themselves "to those skilled in "the art and "I wish it distinctly "understood "that {I contemplate "all such changes as fall within the scope of the appen'ded claims. I

In Fig. 9 "I have shown a springgco nection between the tongue and'the rod '1', in orderto take up the jar'of theto'ngue, which is "sometimessevere when dumping "a load, as for example 'in an elevator. This spring is "marked 19 and encircles the telescoping end of the rod, allowing a certain amount of motion between the rod and the "tube. s jis a collar with'a set 'screwor equivalent device {for holding it, which 'may be adjusted to "stiffen or s'lacken 'at the spring.

,prising a pair of resilient members supple- 'menting; each other in effect when the pole is normal and straight, but adapted to automatically oppose each other and neutralize the support when either the pole or the Wagon is downwardly inclined to a critical point, substantially as described.

2. -In draft 'g'ear "for wagons and the like, a pole pivotally secured to 'an axle, and meanseonn'ected to "the axle for affording the pole a yieldingsupport, said means comprising a double compression spring device having fixed abutments and forwardly extending pivotal connections with the 'pole, said fixed 'a'butnients being spaced apart to permit the pivotal ends of the "springs to pass between them when the "wagon body and pole "are relatively inclined at a 'predetermined an' l'e, substantially as described.

, 3. In draft fgearing for wagons and the like, anaxl'e, a Ipolefpivotally secured so as to have direct draft connection with "the axle, a frame carrying a'guidewaysecured to the axle, a carriage adapted to "travel on said guid'eway, "c'onnecting -'means extending from said carriage to a point 'iiiterrn'edia'te of the ends of the pole, whereby movement of the "pole up or down will produce "travel of the carriage on its uide'way and vice versa, and inea'ns acting en said carriage -to give resilient support to the pole.

4. In draft gearing for wagons "and the like, an axle, abpole pivotally secu'red so as to have direct craft connection with the axle, frame carr ing "a guideway secured to the axle, a carriage adapted to travelo'n said guide-way, connecting means extending from "said carriage to a =p int intermediate of the ends of the pole, whereby in'ovem'ent of the pole up or down will produce travel of the carriage on its guideway, and vice versa, and means acting 'on said carriage to give resilient support to the pole through I a predetermined are "of travel with respect to the "axl but adapted to withdraw 's'aid'su ort atthe end O'fsa'id are oftravel, Wh1eby the wagon body and pole "may remain relatively inclined at a predetermined angle.

'5. In draft gearing for wagons and the like, a rigid frame R,=hav'ing a v'erticalmember '7" with means for attaching it to an axle of a vehicle, a second vertical member '1" bifurcated "and "adapted "to 're'ceive a pole with direct draft connections to the axle, a horizontal l'n'e'lnber 73 {a carriage 1" havin ajIifihfrifitidh means sliding 6n "the inilIiilDK r, a pair of compression springs S-S with In testimony whereof I aflix my signature associated supporting means, pivotally conin presence of two Witnesses.

nected at their outer ends to the upturned member W" of the carriage 1*, and a con- ROBERT SAVOY' necting rod 7' secured at one end to the car- Witnesses:

riage 1- and at the other end to the tongue, ABE F. DYcK, I substantially as described. Mrs. GEO. C. SCHUMAGHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Iatents.

Washington, D. C. 

